Ashland Community and Technical College Diversity Plan August 10, 2017 Al Baker Director of Cultural Diversity Alvin.Baker@kctcs.edu 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 3 INTRODUCTION... 8 DIVERSITY PLANNING PROCESS... 13 OPPORTUNITY 16 SUCCESS... 22 IMPACT... 28 PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT. 32 CONCLUSION... 37 APPENDIX...40 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan (Diversity Plan) is a document created to lead the implementation of a holistic strategy to guide future diversity efforts. ACTC s Diversity Plan is intended to integrate with other strategic documents. These documents include: the 2016-2022 ACTC Strategic Plan, the 2016-2022 KCTCS Strategic Plan, the ACTC Strategic Engagement Management Plan (SEMP), the college s annual plan that includes strategic enrollment action items, initiatives from the units and departments of the institution, the CPE Diversity Plan, and the 2016-2021 CPE Strategic Agenda. The integral aspects of the plan are organized into three primary areas, categorized as Opportunity, Success, and Impact. These three areas coordinate closely with the four pathways of ACTC s SEMP: Access to College, Progression through College, College Goal Completion, and Enhancing College Capacity. Opportunity is aligned with Pathway I, Access to College. Success is aligned in part with both Pathway II, Progression through College, and Pathway III, College Goal Completion. The strategies and goals within Impact support Pathway IV, Enhance College Capacity. The Diversity Plan will give insight into ACTC and who it serves. In addition, it will delineate the demographics of the five Kentucky counties it primarily serves. It will also describe the demographics of the college, as well as efforts currently in place to improve areas related to increase college diversity, closing the achievement gap, and challenges and opportunities. The three primary areas of ACTC s Diversity Plan, Opportunity, Success, and Impact, will consist primarily of goals and the strategies that will be executed to achieve diversity outcomes. OPPORTUNITY Opportunity is defined as recruitment and enrollment of diverse students. The goals and strategies are indicated below. Opportunity Goal I: Increase the percentage of Hispanic/Latino students at ACTC through enhancing outreach activities. 3
Goal I Strategies Provide online orientation and college viewbooks in Spanish for students who would prefer that service. Implement focus group with willing current Hispanic students to seek their feedback in what would make ACTC more inviting. Director of Cultural Diversity will meet with all students in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program to discuss future options at ACTC. Enhance relationship with the Pastor at House of Grace Church (Spanish Speaking church in the area) in attempt to grow knowledge of Hispanic culture and recruit prospective students. Opportunity Goal II: Increase the percentage of African-American students at ACTC through enhancing outreach activities. Goal II Strategies: Provide a presentation/luncheon at specific high schools primarily for African- American students to discuss opportunities and culture at ACTC. Implement a student recruitment program in which volunteers are sought from the current student body to assist in building relationships with prospective students. Implement a Super Someday Series which includes a college camp for elementary students, an event centered on middle school students, the Ashland Regional College Fair, and community dialogues (partnering with NAACP). Partner with NAACP for the Senior Salute program held at ACTC to recognize underrepresented minority (URM) graduating seniors. Mail scholarship options, such as the J.T. Smith Scholarship, to upcoming graduating students and follow-up by phone call, text message, or email to discuss opportunities. 4
Opportunity Goal III: Increase the percentage of veteran students at ACTC through enhancing outreach activities. Goal III Strategies: Promote the ACTC Veteran Center and our student group affiliation, Student Veterans of America, to prospective veterans. Attend and promote ACTC at the Northeast Kentucky Veterans Advisory Council Expo and other veterans outreach events. SUCCESS Success is defined as student success by the Diversity Action Planning Guide provided by the KCTCS office of Cultural Diversity. ACTC will focus on the areas of success related to retention and completion. The goals and strategies for Success are outlined below. Success Goal I: Enhance initiatives to improve both academic and non-academic support services to holistically address needs and barriers to retention for both in-person and online URM students. Goal I Strategy: SSES advisors will place more focus on utilizing Starfish to track URM students who are at-risk and reach out to them utilizing appreciative advising to help determine what the student is struggling with and make appropriate suggestions to help facilitate student success. The Director of Cultural Diversity will utilize a case management approach and communicate with URM students at least two to three times per semester to assist or respond to any concerns, including reminders of important dates, academic services, and upcoming activities. Success Goal II: Create greater opportunities for student engagement and encourage increased faculty, staff and student involvement through our Student Activities. 5
Goal II Strategies: At events offered through our Cultural Diversity program, as well as other various campus events, student attendance will be tracked. Students who attend events related to diversity and cultural competency will be surveyed to gauge how the event impacted them and their experience at ACTC, as well as suggestions for what could be done in the future to make the events better. The data collected within the surveys will be maintained within an electronic database to determine the retention and graduation rates for these students. Implement a student focus group for URM s to discuss how the environment at ACTC can be adjusted so there is more interest in participating in activities and services at ACTC. Success Goal III: Incorporate the high impact practice of collaborative and active learning that is already part of the college s Title III grant and Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), that begins Fall 2017. Goal III Strategies: Assuring high quality standards for gateway general education and technical programs courses through faculty training in the use and implementation of the standards promulgated by Quality Matters in online courses. Developing individualized support services for the elearner as provided in the elearning Centers that will be created on College Drive and Technology Drive campuses. Increase the number of courses that include active and collaborative learning activities in the classroom. Provide faculty training on incorporating active and collaborative learning opportunities in the classroom. 6
IMPACT Impact is defined as campus climate, inclusiveness, and cultural competency. The goals and strategies for Impact are outlined below. Impact Goal I: Increase cultural diversity learning opportunities for faculty, staff and students. Goal I Strategies: Provide culturally diverse educational information/sessions at the annual All College Meeting and Staff Professional Development Conference. Provide opportunities for culturally diverse learning, such as speakers, through planning and coordination of activities by the Diversity Committee, for students, faculty, staff, and the community coordinated by the Diversity Committee. Encourage faculty members to include culturally diverse themes in existing curriculum. Impact Goal II: Continue to provide a culturally positive climate for faculty, staff and students. Goal II Strategies: Conduct a series of two question surveys to assess environment. Conduct one or two student focus groups per year to discuss climate. Charge the Campus Environment Team with the ability to address any issues noted in the surveys. Impact Goal III: Increase the racial and ethnic diversity of faculty and staff. Goal III Strategies: Utilize nationally recognized educational publications and diverse publications, including the Chronicle for Higher Education, Indeed, the American Baptist Newspaper, and the Louisville Defender, to assist in recruiting for faculty and executive management vacancies. Include cultural competency in search committee training. Include culturally diverse employees on search committees. 7
INTRODUCTION Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC) is a two-year comprehensive community college serving the Ashland, Kentucky area since 1938. ACTC is a member of the 16-member Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS), formed in 1998 through the merging of Ashland Community College and Ashland Technical College. ACTC currently has three campuses in Boyd County: College Drive Campus (CDC), Roberts Drive Campus (RDC), and Technology Drive Campus (TDC). In addition, there is an off-campus site at the Heritage Building, home to Fire Rescue/Science and EMS Paramedic programs. Additionally, ACTC offers dual credit classes in several local high schools. During a typical semester there are approximately 600 students taking classes entirely online. The College Drive Campus is located in Ashland and offers both academic and technical programs, including Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Cosmetology, Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology, Pharmacy Technology, and Health Science Technology. CDC is also home to the Cultural Diversity Office, J.B. Sowards Theatre, the Joseph and Sylvia Mansbach Library, Morehead State University at Ashland and many other student services. The Roberts Drive Campus is located just outside of the City of Ashland and is the former home of Ashland Technical College, before merging in 2003 with Ashland Community College to form ACTC. ACTC offers Automotive Technology and Diesel Technology programs on RDC. RDC is also home to the John W. Clark Training Center, the location of the college s Office of Workforce Solutions. The Technology Drive Campus opened in 2004 is located at EastPark, an industrial park near Grayson, KY. There was a major addition of classrooms and facilities added in 2010. Currently, ACTC offers many technical programs, in addition to the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science. These programs include Air Conditioning Technology, Applied Process Technologies, Business Administration, Computer Aided Drafting, Computerized Manufacturing and Machining, Computers and Information Technology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Electrical Technology, Industrial Maintenance, Medical Information Technology, Interdisciplinary Early 8
Childhood Education, and Welding Technology. This campus also has a library as well as a pavilion to host college and community events. ACTC provides lifelong learning experiences and cultural enrichment programs primarily for residents in the Kentucky-Ohio-West Virginia tri-state area. ACTC also offers university parallel programs for transfer to four-year institutions, career programs for advancement in many professional and technical fields, and remains responsive to the needs of local businesses and industry by providing cutting edge workforce training. An inherent aspect of ACTC s mission is to ensure the inclusion of diverse populations in regards to students and employees. Mission ACTC, a member of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, is a public, twoyear degree granting institution located in Northeast Kentucky. The College supports a variety of excellent associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs with a tradition of accessible, affordable, and quality education. The College prepares students for transfer to baccalaureate programs or entry into the workforce, and has a strong commitment to meet their academic, workforce training, and lifelong learning needs. Teach with excellence. Serve with passion. Learn for life. Vision ACTC will become a college of excellence in providing educational pathways leading to student success in technical, transfer, and workforce education. Our Values Teaching and Learning Excellence Access and Support Community and Workforce Partnerships 9
Institutional Picture US Census Bureau 2010, FIVCO Region Compilation County Population ACTC primarily serves the FIVCO Region (Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence Counties), an area with minimal diversity. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the FIVCO area breaks down as follows: 1.5% African-American/Black, 1.06% Hispanic, 1.07% two or more races, 0.21% Native American/Alaskan Native and 96.5% Caucasian. Census statistics for two of ACTC s Service area counties, Boyd and Elliott, include persons housed at state and federal correctional facilities. The educational needs of the state facilities are met by Morehead State University at the facility s request. ACTC previously provided educational services at the federal facility in Boyd County. The current leadership at the correctional facility chooses not to provide college coursework to their population at this time. ACTC and the prison partnered in a proposal to the Department of Education to offer courses on an experimental basis, but the proposal was denied. Percentage of African Americans/ Black Percentage of Hispanic Two or More Races Percentage of Native American/ Alaskan Native Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Percentage of Caucasians Boyd 49,542 2.80% 1.40% 1.40% 0.20% 0.00% 94.70% Carter 27,720 0.50% 1.20% 0.90% 0.20% 0.00% 97.80% Elliott 7,852 3.40% 0.80% 0.50% 0.10% 0.10% 95.60% Greenup 36,910 0.70% 0.80% 1.00% 0.30% 0.00% 97.30% Lawrence 15,860 0.20% 0.50% 0.80% 0.10% 0.00% 98.50% Overall 137,884 1.51% 1.06% 1.07% 0.21% 0.01% 96.47% The two charts below give an accurate description of the current student body and the breakdown by demographics, including a breakdown by service area. Student Breakdown by Service County and Race, Fall 2016 ACTC Data URM County (includes two or more races) Non-URM Unknown Total 10 County Mirror Goal Boyd 5.7% (57) 93.3% (929) 1.0% (10) 996 5.8 Carter 2.2% (9) 97% (392) 0.7%(3) 404 2.78 Elliott 2.9% (2) 95.7% (66) 1.4% (1) 69 4.9 Grenup 4.4% (28) 95.3% (605) 0.3% (2) 635 2.8 Lawrence 2.3% (5) 97,2% (211) 0.5% (1) 217 1.6 Non-Fivco County 6.4% (29) 92.7% (421) 0.9% (4) 454 NA Total 4.7% (130) 94.6% (2624) 0.8% (21) 2775 3.86
Six-year Student Diversity Breakdown by Fall Semester, KCTCS Data Ethnicity Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013 Fall 2014 Fall 2015 Fall 2016 African American/Black 1.2% (58) 1.34% (53) 1.57% (53) 1.4% (47) 1.36% (37) 1.48% (41) Hispanic 0.9% (43) 1.01% (40) 0.98% (30) 1.1% (37) 0.92% (25) 1.19% (33) White 0.7% (33) 0.99% (39) 1.30% (44) 0.98% (33) 1.61% (44) 1.80% (50) Unknown 7.4% (367) 3.50% (138) 1.36% (46) 4.20% (141) 1.28% (35) 0.76% (21) URM No Data 3.60% (142) 4.02% (136) 3.9% (131) 4.25% (116) 4.68% (130) White 89.4% (4447) 92.60% (3656) 94.39% (3195) 91.57% (3073) 94.10% (2567) 94.16% (2613) Non-URM No Data 96.40% (3806) 95.98% (3249) 96.10% (3225) 95.75% (2612) 95.32% (2645) Total 4,977 3,948 3,385 3,356 2,728 2,775 At minimum, ACTC has strived to mirror the diversity of our service area. The desire is to meet and preferably exceed the percentages as determined by the 2010 census while also taking into account the Census Projections from 2017. As can be seen by the charts above, the URM percentages are quite low, although the student breakdown by county chart above shows during the Fall 16 semester, ACTC exceeded the URM census percentage in three of the five service counties with Carter County falling short by.06%. The total URM percent for Fall 16 was 4.7 which exceeds the 2010 Census URM of 3.86%. During the last five years, ACTC has at times met/exceeded census percentages and at other times has not met them. Due to the limited diversity in our area, the numbers, especially the percentages, fluctuate periodically. As can be seen by the chart below, ACTC consistently has more females than males enrolled. The Hispanic enrollment by percentage is at a six year high as evidenced by the Fall 2016 data. The chart below, College Profile Fall 2016, paints a clear picture of the enrollment for the Fall 2016 semester. Although the numbers do fluctuate by percentage, the chart displayed is an accurate recent trend depiction of our student body make up on a yearly basis. 11
College Profile, Fall 2016, KCTCS Data Enrollment Breakout Fall 2016 Gender Female 1,563 56.30% Male 1,211 43.60% Unknown 1 0.00% Enrollment Status Full-Time 1,537 55.40% Part-Time 1,238 44.60% Total Enrollment 2,775 Race/Ethnicity URM 130 4.70% AMERICAN INDIAN 5 0.20% AFRICAN AMERICAN 41 1.50% HISPANIC 33 1.20% NATIVE HAWAIIAN 1 0.00% TWO OR MORE RACES 50 1.80% Non-URM 2,645 95.30% NON-RESIDENT ALIEN 50 1.80% ASIAN 11 0.40% UNKNOWN 21 0.80% WHITE 2,613 94.20% State Kentucky 2,424 87.40% Not Kentucky 351 12.60% Credential-Seeking Associates 1,869 67.40% Certificates 106 3.80% Diploma 242 8.70% Unknown 11 0.40% Auditor 0.00% High School 375 13.50% Non-Degree 172 6.20% 12
DIVERSITY PLANNING PROCESS The diversity planning process is on-going at ACTC. ACTC has a Cultural Diversity Office, led by Director Al Baker. Mr. Baker spends the majority of his time focusing on the areas related to enhancing diversity at ACTC. He is supervised by the Dean of Student Success and Enrollment Services (SSES), Steve Woodburn. Dean Woodburn and Mr. Baker discuss progress and ideas monthly. Dean Woodburn meets with President Adkins bi-weekly and discussions related to diversity frequently occur. The general goals discussed are always related to enrolling a greater number of diverse students, retaining those students at a higher rate, assisting them in completing a credential, and/or transferring or obtaining a job. Last year, it was clear from CPE and KCTCS that changes were coming to the expectations, planning, and reporting process related to diversity. Thus, through the communication with KCTCS and CPE and the seeking of input by ACTC constituents, ACTC has anticipated the changes and has been able to prepare for creating and implementing a new diversity plan. Discussions about strategies, assessment, and people who need to be involved have taken place during this time. One significant change made during this time was the plan to enhance the Cultural Diversity Office. Prior to July 1, 2017, the Cultural Diversity office has been shared with recruiting, but restructuring the location of the Student Success and Enrollment Services department resulted in changes in office locations to better serve students. As a result, the diversity office will be changed to a Diversity Center. This Center will be independent from other offices and solely dedicated to cultural diversity. The Center is located near recruiting, so the connection with student services will continue. Thus, if students need to come see Mr. Baker to discuss issues related to diversity or to just have a quiet space to gather their thoughts, there is now privacy and space to do so. On October 27, 2016, Dr. Adkins, the ACTC President/CEO, submitted the Diversity Planning team to the KCTCS system office. The planning team originally consisted of ten members. Two additional members were added later. The team consisted of the following members with titles, listed in alphabetical order: Kellie Allen Director of Human Resources Al Baker (Co-Chair) Director of Cultural Diversity 13
Steve Flouhouse Dean of Institutional Planning, Research and Effectiveness Allison Goble Director of Marketing & Community Relations Sara Green -- Interim Admissions Advisor Janie Kitchen Dean of Academic Affairs Robin Lewis Registrar, Director of Admissions MiKeala McDonald Student, member of the cultural diversity committee Mayra Mendez -- Student Affairs Assistant II Richard Merritt Assistant Professor, Math Craig Pleasant -- Admissions Advisor, Coordinator of Veterans Affairs Steve Woodburn (Co-Chair) Dean of Student Success and Enrollment Services Each member of the committee was selected based on their skills and experiences. The goal was to attempt to make as diverse of a committee as possible within the skills and experiences needed for the college to continue to meet its diversity goals. The committee consists of: Seven females Five males Three African-Americans One Hispanic Eight Caucasians One faculty Three administrators (two with faculty rank) One student Six staff o Five directors/coordinators o Two frontline staff The introductory meeting occurred in November. Mr. Baker (Director of Cultural Diversity) led the meeting while Dean Woodburn emphasized the important nature of the committee and the 14
upcoming diversity plan. At the end of the meeting, the chairs were confident everyone understood what needed to be accomplished and how the plan could have great impact on making the experience at the college better for all. The second meeting in early January was scheduled as an all-day planning period. Dr. Kay Adkins kicked off the meeting by thanking the committee for their participation and reemphasizing the importance of the task at hand. The committee divided into three subcommittees, each focused on one of the main components of the upcoming diversity plan: Opportunity, Success, and Impact. The rest of the day was spent primarily discussing goals and strategies needed to accomplish the intent of each section. The subcommittees were asked to provide a rough draft, primarily focusing on the goals and strategies, to the chairs by February 1. Upon receiving subcommittee drafts, Dean Woodburn and Mr. Baker began the writing process. Also during this time, stakeholder groups were surveyed utilizing the questions provided in the A Diversity Action Planning Guide. The stakeholder groups were surveyed by email to gather information related to their perception of the culture and our efforts at ACTC. Responses were received from the President s Leadership Team (PLT), additional internal stakeholders, and external stakeholders. This information was used to assist in creating goals and strategies. These stakeholders included: PLT Staff/Faculty o Examples include division chair, public relations staff, admissions personnel, and diversity committee members. Students External partners o Examples include area superintendents, president NAACP, and high school personnel. ACTC plans to utilize more of this type of data gathering. There is a desire to utilize a questionnaire/survey that will meet the colleges needs related to a complete campus diversity environmental survey. At this point the college has not found one that suits their needs. Currently, ACTC utilizes the Personal Assessment of the College Environment (PACE), which 15
allows faculty and staff to comment on the campus climate. This survey has a specific question related to a diverse culture on campus. In addition, more student feedback is needed. The intention is to meet with SGA and other student focus groups to share the diversity plan and strategies, and to seek input on how they perceive the college s efforts. Focus groups will be implemented to give students an opportunity to talk freely about the culture and environment at ACTC. The planning process continued to follow the KCTCS Diversity Planning Timeline. On February 21, 2017, ACTC submitted its first draft to KCTCS. On March 21, 2017, ACTC made changes based upon the recommendations from KCTCS and submitted a second draft. On April 10, 2017, Dean Woodburn, Mr. Baker, Mr. Flouhouse, and Ms. Allen visited CPE to discuss the plan and received additional feedback. On or near June 30 th, Dr. Adkins will submit the final plan to the KCTCS office and on July 21, ACTC will send a team to present the plan to CPE. In addition, the Diversity Planning team (team members may change due to attrition) will meet periodically and eventually monthly after the plan has been approved and implemented. The purpose of the meetings is to assure constant feedback, assessment, accountability, and progress with the implementation of this plan. It is important to realize ACTC implements a plethora of strategies, not only for URM students, but for all students, aimed at improving student enrollment, retention, and success. Thus, the strategies in this plan are a small number of the overall strategies and tactics used to enhance student success at ACTC. OPPORTUNITY ACTC understands the benefits a diverse population brings to a student s experience at the college. The college works diligently, and will continue to do so, to create relationships with the URM community, including the business community, and places an emphasis on recruiting a more diverse population. The Director of Cultural Diversity also works with the recruiting department and is tasked, along with other members of the team, to implement strategies and relationships that will foster enrollment growth of minorities. 16
College Profile, Fall 2016, KCTCS Data Enrollment Breakout Fall 2016 Gender Female 1,563 56.30% Male 1,211 43.60% Unknown 1 0.00% Enrollment Status Full-Time 1,537 55.40% Part-Time 1,238 44.60% Total Enrollment 2,775 Race/Ethnicity URM 130 4.70% AMERICAN INDIAN 5 0.20% AFRICAN AMERICAN 41 1.50% HISPANIC 33 1.20% NATIVE HAWAIIAN 1 0.00% TWO OR MORE RACES 50 1.80% Non-URM 2,645 95.30% NON-RESIDENT ALIEN 50 1.80% ASIAN 11 0.40% UNKNOWN 21 0.80% WHITE 2,613 94.20% State Kentucky 2,424 87.40% Not Kentucky 351 12.60% Credential-Seeking Associates 1,869 67.40% Certificates 106 3.80% Diploma 242 8.70% Unknown 11 0.40% Auditor 0.00% High School 375 13.50% Non-Degree 172 6.20% The chart above, College Profile Fall 2016, gives a snapshot of the ACTC student body. The total enrollment was 2775 students. The data indicates the influence online education has on ACTC as over 600 students take classes exclusively online. Almost 70% of our students receive some sort of financial assistance, with approximately 48% considered low income (Pell eligible). Approximately 56% of the students are female. Approximately 80 students receive disability 17
services and 80 students are veterans. Approximately 94% of our students identify as white. During the Fall 2016 semester, 1.5% of students identified as African-American, 1.2% as Hispanic/Latino, and 1.8% as two or more races. No other racial group currently represents at least 1% of our student body. Race/ Ethnicity 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 (Baseline) African American/ Black 58 1.20% 53 1.30% 53 1.60% 47 1.40% 37 1.40% Hispanic 43 0.90% 40 1.00% 30 0.90% 37 1.10% 25 0.90% URM 147 3.00% 142 3.6% 136 4.00% 131 3.90% 116 4.30% Performance Metric: Undergraduate Enrollment Baseline 15-16 Actual Fall 2016 Target Fall 2017 Target Fall 2018 Target Fall 2019 Target Fall 2020 African American 37 1.36% 41 1.48% 44 1.60% 46 1.60% 45 1.60% 46 1.60% Hispanic 25 0.92% 33 1.19% 39 1.40% 42 1.50% 42 1.50% 46 1.60% URM 116 4.25% 130 4.68% 133 4.50% 128 4.60% 132 4.70% 137 4.80% The two charts above display the trend data of URM student breakdown from 2011-12 to 2015-16 and the ACTC targets through the 2020-2021 academic year. Below are the goals and 18
strategies to be implemented or enhanced to increase enrollment and to meet the targets for minority students. Opportunity Goal I: Increase the percentage of Hispanic/Latino students at ACTC by enhancing outreach activities. (Pathway Strategy I: Access to College) The successful implementation and enhancement of the strategies and goals will assist in meeting the college s desired outcomes: Enrollment (Opportunity): Student body diversity, at minimum, mirrors the diversity of its service area. o Baseline (Fall 2015) 1.36% (37) African-American 0.92% (25) Hispanic/Latino 0.29% (8) American Indian/Alaska Native 4.25% (116) URM o Annual Target 1.60% African-American based on Census Projections 1.4% (2017), 1.5% (2018,2019), and 1.6% (2020) Hispanic/Latino based on census projections 0.21% Native American 4.5% (2017) to 4.8% (2020) based on URM census projections o Objective: Increase student body diversity equal or greater than census data projections annually. Goal I Strategies Enhance marketing, recruiting, early outreach, and additional activities for potential students (credential seeking, high school, and workforce training, from initial contact through enrollment. (ACTC SEMP: Pathway Strategy I, Outcome 1) [PIS1] Provide online orientation and college viewbooks in Spanish for students who would prefer that service. 19
Implement focus group with willing current Hispanic students to seek their feedback in what would make ACTC more inviting. Director of Cultural Diversity will meet with all students in the ESL adult learning program to discuss future options at ACTC. Development relationships with area school districts and community stakeholders to prepare students to enter college, with an emphasis on underprepared students. (ACTC SEMP: Pathway Strategy I, Outcome 2) [PIS2] Enhance relationship with the Pastor at House of Grace Church (Spanish Speaking church in the area) in attempt to grow knowledge of Hispanic culture and recruit prospective students. Opportunity Goal II: Increase the percentage of African-American students at ACTC by enhancing outreach activities. (Pathway I: Access to College) Goal II Strategies Enhance marketing, recruiting, early outreach, and additional activities for potential students (credential seeking, high school, and workforce training, from initial contact through enrollment. (ACTC SEMP: Pathway Strategy I, Outcome 1) [PIS1] Provide a presentation/luncheon at specific high schools primarily for African- American students to discuss opportunities and culture at ACTC. Implement a student recruitment program in which volunteers are sought from the current student body to assist in building relationships with prospective students. Implement a Super Someday Series which includes a college camp for elementary students, an event centered on middle school students, the Ashland Regional College Fair, and community dialogues (partnering with NAACP). Development relationships with area school districts and community stakeholders to prepare students to enter college, with an emphasis on 20
underprepared students. (ACTC SEMP: Pathway Strategy I, Outcome 2) [PIS2] Partner with NAACP with the Senior Salute program held at ACTC to recognize URM graduating seniors. Increase scholarship funds to help students attend ACTC. (ACTC SEMP: Pathway Strategy I, Outcome 5) [PIS5] Mail scholarship opportunities, such as the J.T. Smith Scholarship, to upcoming graduating students and follow-up by phone call, text message, or email to discuss opportunities. Opportunity Goal III: Increase the percentage of veteran students at ACTC by enhancing outreach activities. (Pathway I: Access to College) Goal III Strategies Enhance marketing, recruiting, early outreach, and additional activities for potential students (credential seeking, high school, and workforce training, from initial contact through enrollment. (ACTC SEMP: Pathway Strategy I, Outcome 1) [PIS1] Promote the Veteran Center and our student group affiliation, Student Veterans of America, to prospective veterans. Development relationships with area school districts and community stakeholders to prepare students to enter college, with an emphasis on underprepared students. (ACTC SEMP: Pathway Strategy I, Outcome 2) [PIS2] Attend and promote ACTC at the Northeast Kentucky Veterans Advisory Council Expo. 21
SUCCESS The focus and purpose of the goals and strategies related to success are centered on the commitment of helping students be successful from when they arrive on campus. ACTC currently provides a number of services and activities that help improve the overall success of the general student population, including diverse and low-income students. These services and activities provide both academic and non-academic support to students. Success to community college students can mean many different things. Students attend ACTC for several reasons, including to take courses to transfer to a four-year institution, find a job, enhance specific skill sets, and learn a specific topic. The implementation of strategies in this area are designed to improve outcomes related to retention and graduation of underrepresented minorities (primarily) and low-income students (secondarily). Performance Metric Historical Trends 3-Year Grad. Rate 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Baseline 2015-16 Low-income 16.5% 18.3% 16.2% 25.9% URM 20.0% 21.1% 14.3% 4.5% 13.3% 1st to 2nd-Year Retention Low-income 43.7% 46.8% 41.2% 46.2% 44.9% URM 42.3% 41.9% 33.3% 34.8% 47.10% Certificates/Diploma/ Associates Conferred Low-income 1,063 1,126 1,013 1,178 1,223 URM 76 61 72 70 43 The chart above shows historic trend data for low-income and URM students as it relates to graduation rates, retention and number of credentials awarded. The chart below identifies the targets up to the year 2020 for the same categories. 22
Performance Metric Targets Baseline 2015-16 Actual Fall 2016 Fall 2017 Fall 2018 Fall 2019 Fall 2020 3-Year Grad. Rate Low-income 84 25.9% 61 18.69% 97 29.9% 76 23.6% 83 25.6% 91 28.0% URM N/A 13.3% 1 7.1% 2 9.7% 2 12.3% 3 14.9% 4 17.5% 1st to 2nd-Year Retention Low-income 130 48.5% 124 46.3% 127 47.6% 131 49.0% 134 50.3% 138 51.7% URM 8 47.1% 8 41.2% 6 49.1% 8 50.1% 8 51.1% 8 52.1% Certificates/Diplomas/ Associates Conferred Low-income 1,223 71.15% 1,200 74.7% 1,214 72.0% 1,229 71.7% 1,244 71.5% 1,259 71.3% URM 43 3.52% 67 4.18% 69 4.09% 71 4.14% 73 4.20% 75 4.24% Retention URM Definition: Fall-to-fall retention rates of first-time, credential-seeking students by Under-Represented Minorities (American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Two or More Races). Baseline: 47.1% Target by 2020-2021: 52.1% Objective: Reach identified yearly targets. 23
Graduation Rate URM Definition: Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/credential-seeking undergraduate students who complete their program within 150% of normal time as reported to IPEDS, limited to Under-Represented Minorities. Baseline: 13.3% Target by 2020-2021: 17.5% Objective: Reach identified yearly targets. Below are the goals and strategies that ACTC will focus on to enhance the success of our students, which will assist in meeting the desired outcomes. Success Goal I: Enhance initiatives to improve both academic and non-academic support services to holistically address needs and barriers to retention for both in-person and online URM students. (Pathway II: Progression through College) There are currently many support services in place to assist our students. Examples include: o Student Support Services (TRiO) o Veteran s Services Center o Disability Services o Cultural Diversity o Career Services Career and job placement Resume workshops Mock Interviews Sigi 3 career interest inventory o Ready to Work Program o Advising Center o Tutoring Services Learning Lab o Computer Access Center (CAC) 24
Goal I Strategies Implement initiatives to improve both academic and non-academic support services to holistically address needs and barriers to retention in-person and online students. (Pathway Strategy II, Outcome 1) [PIIS1] SSES advisors will place more focus on utilizing Starfish to track URM students who are at risk, and will reach out to them utilizing appreciative advising to help determine what the student is struggling with and make appropriate suggestions to help facilitate student success. The Director of Cultural Diversity will utilize a case management approach and communicate with URM students at least two to three times per semester to assist or respond to any concerns, including reminders of important dates, academic services, and upcoming activities. Success Goal II: Create greater opportunities for student engagement and encourage increased faculty, staff and student involvement through our student activities. (Pathway II: Progression through College; Pathway III: College Goal Completion) Current engagement examples include: o Welcome Week o Spring Fling o Back to School Bash o Student Success Seminars o Arts & Sciences Seminar lecture series Enrollment Services Celebration Activities specifically offered through our Cultural Diversity office include: o Super Sunday o NAACP Senior Salute o Black History Month o Hispanic Heritage Month o Gospel Night 25
o The Spirit of Frederick Douglass o Tri-State Conference on Diversity & Inclusion Goal II Strategies: Create greater opportunities for student engagement and encouraging increased faculty, staff, and student involvement. (Pathway Strategy II, Outcome 2) [PIIS2] Enhance services that provide guidance to students preparing to complete credential requirements as they transition to the workplace or transfer to a 4-year institution as well as workforce training students seeking to matriculate to ACTC. (Pathway Strategy III, Outcome 1) [PIVS1] At events offered through our Cultural Diversity program, as well as other various campus events, student attendance will be tracked. Students who attend events related to diversity and cultural competency will be surveyed to gauge how the event impacted them and their experience at ACTC as well as suggestions for what could be done in the future to make the events better. The data collected within the surveys will be maintained within an electronic database in order to determine the retention and graduation rates for these students. Implement a student focus group for URM s to discuss how the environment at ACTC can be adjusted so there is more interest in participating in activities and services at ACTC. Success Goal III: Incorporate the high impact practice of collaborative and active learning that is already part of the college s Title III grant and QEP (beginning Fall 2017). (Pathway II: Progression through College; Pathway III: College Goal Completion) ACTC recently was awarded a Title III grant that centers on course and classroom redesign to facilitate active and collaborative learning. Course redesign is based on the adoption of the 26
Quality Matters standards for online courses, and classroom redesign will include the purchase and implementation of modular workstations to encourage and facilitate collaborative work and engaging activities, with an opportunity for students to use tablet PCs within these learning environments. Professional development training will be offered to faculty and will focus on incorporating active and collaborative learning activities in the classroom, regardless of delivery mode. ACTC is developing its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) as part of its decennial accreditation process with SACSCOC. Elements of the Title III course and classroom redesign will be included in the QEP. The QEP will focus on increasing career readiness through student engagement, focusing on academic planning, active and collaborative learning, and career application activities. A key focus of QEP activities is engaging students from start to finish in their educational careers. Active and collaborative learning is shown in multiple studies to be one of the biggest indicators of student success. These engagement activities are designed to foster teamwork and collaboration between students, engaging them in each aspect of their educational career. Activities included with both Title III and QEP aim to improve retention, persistence and graduation rates of all student populations. For this diversity plan, the targets for retention are based on the KCTCS performance measures assigned to each KCTCS institution. Goal III Strategies: Create greater opportunities for student engagement and encouraging increased faculty, staff, and student involvement. (Pathway Strategy II, Outcome 2) [PIIS2] Assuring high quality standards for gateway general education and technical programs courses through faculty training in the use and implementation of the standards promulgated by Quality Matters. Developing individualized support services for the elearner as provided in the elearning Centers that will be created on College Drive and Technology Drive campuses. 27
Increase the number of courses that include active and collaborative learning activities in the classroom. Provide faculty training on incorporating active and collaborative learning opportunities in the classroom. IMPACT The focus and purpose of the goals and strategies related to Impact are centered on cultural competency, faculty and staff diversity, the promotion of equity and inclusion, and monitoring the campus and community environment. As described earlier, the FIVCO region has minimal diversity. Thus, this creates a challenge to recruiting and maintaining a more diverse faculty/staff. The college will continue to be diligent in its efforts to increase the number of URM s on its staff and faculty. KCTCS is exploring becoming members of HERC, Higher Education Recruitment Consortium. Kellie Allen, Director of Human Resources, is on the board exploring this option. HERC s mission is to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment, retention, and advancement practices. HERC will help ACTC reach the most talented and diverse candidates through HERC s job board, diversity outreach and partnerships with organizations serving women, racial and ethnic minorities, military personnel and veterans, and individuals with disabilities. The following chart represents faculty and staff demographics as of Fall 2016. Please note, the staff chart also includes employees who may qualify as management. Workforce Diversity Fall 2016 AA/Black Hispanic Two or More Races American Indian or Alaskan Native Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander White Total Instructional Faculty 1 1.0% 0 0 0 0 95.3 93.4% 102 Management Occupations 2 12.5% 0 0 0 0 13 81.3% 16 28
Staff (ACTC data) 4 3.96% 1 1.0% 96 95.05% 101 (fulltime only) As can be illustrated, the workforce numbers closely mirror the communities in which ACTC serves. ACTC desires to provide students a diverse staff/faculty. The college is also dedicated to providing a comfortable learning environment in which all students can prosper in achieving their academic goals. The college is committed to expanding its efforts to assist students, staff, faculty and community members on becoming more culturally competent. As an example, on February 10 th, 2017, the college hosted a Community Dialogue with Dr. Roger Cleveland from Eastern Kentucky University. Dr. Cleveland spoke to a crowd including students from two local high schools, two superintendents, college administration and staff, college students and community members, about the importance of a diverse community becoming culturally competent which is a better environment for the entire community. Performance Metric: URM Workforce Diversity Baseline 2015-16 Actual Fall 2016 Target Fall 2017 Target Fall 2018 Target Fall 2019 Target Fall 2020 Instructional Faculty 1 0.90% 2 1.96% 2 1.96% 3 3.00% 3 3.00% 3 3.00% Management Occupations 1 7.70% 2 12.50% 2 12.50% 2 12.50% 2 12.50% 2 12.50% Staff (ACTC Data) 5 5.0% 5 5.0% 6 6.0% 6 6.0% 7 7.0% The chart above and the narrative below are the goals and strategies that ACTC will focus on to enhance the Impact that we may have on our students, faculty, staff, and environment. The successful implementation of these goals and strategies will assist in meeting the outcomes related to Impact. 29
Faculty/Staff Diversity (Impact): Provide a diverse faculty/staff that mirrors U.S. Census. o Faculty Baseline: 0.9% URM o Staff Baseline: 4.95% URM o Management Occupations Baseline: 7.7% URM o Annual Target: Maintain/increase faculty, staff, and management diversity annually. Faculty -- 1.96% (2017) to 3.0% (2018-2020) Staff 6.0% (2018) to 7.0% (2020) Management 12.5% o Objective: Maintain/increase staff, faculty, and management diversity annually. Culture/Equity (Impact): Student ethnic and cultural diversity are import at this institution. o Baseline: Personal Assessment of the College Environment (PACE) question 18 under student focus with responses of satisfied and very satisfied 2015 results of 67% o Target: Meet National Norm of 75% during next implementation. o Objective: Continue to provide a culturally positive climate. Impact Goal I: Increase cultural diversity learning opportunities for faculty, staff and students. (Pathway II: Progression through College and Pathway IV: Enhance College Capacity) Goal I Strategies Create greater opportunities for student engagement and encouraging increased faculty, staff, and student involvement. (Pathway Strategy II, Outcome 2) [PIIS2] Provide opportunities for culturally diverse learning, such as speakers, using the Diversity Committee to plan and coordinate activities for students, faculty, staff, and the community. Encourage faculty members to include culturally diverse themes in existing curriculum. 30
Engage employees to enhance a positive culture and promote a responsive campus atmosphere. (Pathway Strategy IV, Outcome 7) [PIVS7] Provide culturally diverse educational information/sessions at the annual All College Meeting and Staff Professional Development Conference. Impact Goal II: Continue to provide a culturally positive climate for faculty, staff and students. (Pathway IV: Enhance College Capacity) Goal II Strategies: Conduct systematic evaluations of programs and services reflecting use of assessment data. (Pathway IV, Outcome 2) [PIVS2] Conduct a series of two question surveys to assess environment. Conduct two student focus groups per year to discuss climate. Charge the Campus Environment Team with the ability to address any issues noted in the survey. Impact Goal III: Increase the racial and ethnic diversity of faculty and staff. (Pathway IV: Enhance College Capacity) Goal III Strategies: Engage employees to enhance a positive culture and promote a responsive campus atmosphere. Engage employees to enhance a positive culture and promote a responsive campus atmosphere. (Pathway Strategy IV, Outcome 7) [PIVS7] Utilize nationally recognized educational publications and diverse publications, including the Chronicle for Higher Education, Indeed, the American Baptist Newspaper, and the Louisville Defender, to assist in recruiting for faculty and executive management vacancies. Include cultural competency in search committee training. Include culturally diverse employees on search committees. 31
PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT The focus of this plan is to improve outcomes related to underrepresented minorities. The goals and strategies described in the Opportunity, Success, and Impact sections of this document are intended to increase our desired outcomes. Proposed Outcomes: Enrollment (Opportunity): Student body diversity, at minimum, mirrors the diversity of its service area. o Baseline (Fall 2015) 1.36% (37) African-American 0.92% (25) Hispanic/Latino 0.29% (8) American Indian/Alaska Native 4.25% (116) URM o Annual Target 1.60% African-American based on Census Projections 1.4% (2017), 1.5% (2018, 2019), and 1.6% (2020) Hispanic/Latino based on census projections 0.21% Native American 4.5% (2017) to 4.8% (2020) based on URM census projections o Objective: Increase student body diversity equal or greater than census data projections annually. Retention URM Definition: Fall-to-fall retention rates of first-time, credential-seeking students by Under-Represented Minorities (American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Two or More Races). o Baseline: 47.1% o Target by 2020-2021: 52.1% o Objective: Reach identified yearly targets. 32
Graduation Rate URM Definition: Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/credentialseeking undergraduate students who complete their program within 150% of normal time as reported to IPEDS, limited to Under-Represented Minorities. o Baseline: 13.3% o Target by 2020-2021: 17.5% o Objective: Reach identified yearly targets. Faculty/Staff Diversity (Impact): Provide a diverse faculty/staff that mirrors U.S. Census. o Faculty Baseline: 0.9% URM o Staff Baseline: 4.95% URM o Management Occupations Baseline: 7.7% URM o Annual Target: Maintain/increase faculty, staff, and management diversity annually. Faculty -- 1.96% (2017) to 3.0% (2018-2020) Staff 6.0% (2018) to 7.0% (2020) Management 12.5% o Objective: Maintain/increase staff, faculty, and management diversity annually. Culture/Equity (Impact): Student ethnic and cultural diversity are import at this institution. o Baseline: Personal Assessment of the College Environment (PACE) question 18 under student focus with responses of satisfied and very satisfied 2015 results of 67%. o Target: Meet National Norm of 75% during next implementation. o Objective: Continue to provide a culturally positive climate. 33
Proposed Methodology of Assessment The diversity plan will be assessed using current ACTC practices. Each strategy for each goal will be tracked using the institutional effectiveness planning form. This form allows the strategy leader to document assessment results over multiple assessment cycles that align the college s 2016-2022 strategic planning years. As can be seen below, the form identifies the goals and the strategies to be assessed. The form provides a space to include expected results, rationale, the implementation steps with a timeline, and where the funding will come from to implement the strategy. This form has all the specifics of each strategy. The second part of the form is the assessment component. During the spring semester, results are documented for that assessment period. In April, changes based on the results will be considered and become ready to implement the following academic year. This cycle continues annually as long as a specific strategy is being utilized. ACTC monitors its strategies regularly, and changes are made as needed to assure the most positive results for any strategy being implemented. The Appendix below documents the institutional effectiveness planning form for each of the strategies for this plan. To summarize, the purpose of assessment is to review, monitor, and make changes to the plan and a continual bases. Assessment and subsequent changes will occur regardless if the goals of the plan are met or not met. Goals may fall short of meeting the intended outcomes, but ACTC will continue to work diligently to improve the achievement gap, percent of diverse enrollment, retention, and completion of URM students. In addition, ACTC will continue, regardless of the results of this plan, to strive to enhance the percentage of URM individuals in staff, faculty and administrators. 34